Another 09:00 departure and an hour and a half on a bus. The basilica is on top of a mountain. We went up a large flight of stairs to the gate and then continued skyward on another extensive staircase, at the top of which is a large tower.
We followed the path up the mountain until we reached the basilica. The climb wasn’t too bad at all. Many trails in the Appalachians and the Rockies put it to shame. The whole trail system up and down the side of this mountain is paved, sometimes very intricately. We were supposed to take an hour and a half tour, but the English-speaking tour guide was sick and we exited the church. The view from the trail and the basilica is great, but it would be better if there was no smog. From the top of the mountain, we could even see our bus!
Professor Hohman gave us a short lecture about the basilica, and we dispersed, told to meet back at the main gate around 11:50. Apparently, the basilica was originally established by the Jesuits attempting to bring Christianity to China, and became a place of retirement for members of the Clergy. However, it served as a safe house and stronghold several times in its history, including when Japan invaded China in 1937. The statue atop the bell tower is “Our Lady of Luck”, and is in the shape of the Chinese character for luck. It is the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus above her head and standing on top of a dragon (instead of a snake). This statue (except for the dragon) was destroyed in the Cultural Revolution, and the current statue is a replica.
We all wandered back down the mountain on the other trail, which we had neglected to take on the uphill climb. We descended from the basilica to a switchback trail, each turning point of which was occupied by one or two Stations of the Cross. After reaching the bottom of this, we headed down two more large staircases to a large courtyard, serving three shrines. A short climb up, and we were able to head down the trail on the other side of the wall. Three of us split off from the main group to check out a pavilion, and wandered back. The lower trail is rolling, and cuts across the mountainside on an embankment. We made our way back to the large tower at the top of the staircase, and ended up at the foot of the mountain with the rest of the group.
We climbed on board the bus, which took us to KFC for lunch. I can now say that I have eaten on the second floor of a KFC. That’s right, it has two stories. Did I mention that KFC is a thing here?
After lunch, it started raining just as we started to board the bus. It had stopped by the time we returned to Suzhou. Instead of returning directly to the apartments, we went to a large pearl and jewel market, where we all bought pearl necklaces, and several people bought earrings, bracelets, and rings. The pearls were real, but extremely cheap. A few members of our group joked that you could buy several pairs of earrings here (for about 50 US cents each) and sell them for several dollars in the US, thus making hundreds. Isn’t supply and demand a beautiful thing?
After the jewel market, we returned home and prepared ourselves for Monday.
We climbed on board the bus, which took us to KFC for lunch. I can now say that I have eaten on the second floor of a KFC. That’s right, it has two stories. Did I mention that KFC is a thing here?
After lunch, it started raining just as we started to board the bus. It had stopped by the time we returned to Suzhou. Instead of returning directly to the apartments, we went to a large pearl and jewel market, where we all bought pearl necklaces, and several people bought earrings, bracelets, and rings. The pearls were real, but extremely cheap. A few members of our group joked that you could buy several pairs of earrings here (for about 50 US cents each) and sell them for several dollars in the US, thus making hundreds. Isn’t supply and demand a beautiful thing?
After the jewel market, we returned home and prepared ourselves for Monday.